This gave me quite a fright. I had just closed his eyes—how could they be open again? Could it be… haunted?
Those who die unjustly often become resentful spirits. Besides, taking a dump right next to someone's corpse is hardly respectful—no wonder the dead might find it hard to tolerate.
"Elder brothers, I truly meant no disrespect. You are magnanimous souls, please don't hold it against someone as young and ignorant as me. I'll leave as soon as I'm done." I clasped my hands together and spoke earnestly, wisely shifting a bit farther away. But the grassy area was limited—I couldn't go too far without being spotted.
Since the eyes wouldn't stay shut, I figured I should hurry up and finish before more trouble arose. I really didn't do it on purpose—I was just in such a rush that I didn't notice the body lying here until I squatted down.
I strained harder to get it over with, but—would you believe it—the more I tried to relax, the more it seemed like it would never end.
Just then, something cold and damp suddenly brushed against my backside, sending a shiver down my spine.
I immediately shuddered and turned to look behind me, but there was nothing. The two corpses lay perfectly still. Maybe it was just the grass swaying in the wind, brushing against me?
But since when does grass feel that cold? It felt more like… a fingernail scraping across skin.
The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt. Forget it—just finish up, wipe, and get out of here!
But then I patted my pockets. Shit. No fucking toilet paper. What now? Helpless, I glanced at the corpses.
"Two elder brothers, could this little brother trouble you for a favor? Mind if I borrow some paper? Well, since you're not saying no, I'll take that as a yes." I tried to deceive myself—and them—with my words. But there was no time to overthink it; finding something to wipe with was what mattered.
To avoid any mishaps—or perhaps to ward off evil—I placed a Copper Coin Sword right next to the two corpses. Even if you turn into ghosts, this should keep you subdued for a while and teach you not to mess with me. Besides, I'm only borrowing some paper—surely you won't fight me over that, right?
I slowly shifted back to my original spot and began searching the bodies for paper. To my great disappointment, the two gentlemen carried only cigarettes, gum, and some miscellaneous items—no paper at all. Did they never use any when they relieved themselves outdoors? Just their hands? Even worse, they didn't even have backpacks—who knows where they'd lost them.
"God, are you seriously messing with me like this?" I pinched my fingers together, too embarrassed to look directly.
No way—using my hands was both disgusting and eerie. I might as well pick some weeds and make do.
But just at that moment, a delicate hand suddenly reached toward me, holding a thick stack of paper.
I instinctively took it happily, said thank you, and wiped myself clean in one swift motion.
It wasn't until after I'd finished that I felt something was off. Who the hell handed me this paper? It looked like a woman's hand. Could it be Jeane? Surely she wouldn't be this kind, right?
Besides, the paper felt really rough—it almost hurt to use. I took a closer look, screamed, and immediately flung it away.
As luck would have it, the paper I'd just used landed right on the corpse's face. That's when I clearly saw the corpse's hand twitch. Somehow, its fingernails had grown more than ten centimeters long—and so had the other one's.
In that moment, I remembered the cold sensation that had brushed against me earlier. Could it have been these two corpses' fingernails?
Terrified, I pulled up my trousers and scrambled back several steps. It was then that I saw a woman standing opposite me. It wasn't Jeane—this woman was dressed entirely in red. She had a delicate figure but wore a mysterious black veil.
But when I saw her, I raised the Copper Coin Sword and stepped in front of it—because the paper she had given me was a worn-out piece of "dead money," spirit money meant for the dead.
It was all coming together: a female ghost, two jiangshi, and a whole lot of terrifying stuff.
"What, not enough paper?" The woman in red took out more spirit money and stepped closer to me.
"Don't come any closer!" I retreated a step, gripping the Copper Coin Sword. If she took one more step, I wouldn't hesitate to strike first.
"Alright, I won't come closer. You don't need to be afraid—I'm not a ghost. Look, I have a shadow." The red-clad woman pointed at the ground. When my torchlight fell on her, sure enough, a long shadow stretched out beneath her.
I was confused. If she wasn't a ghost, why did she give me spirit money to wipe with? Still, I let out a sigh of relief. I'd thought I'd met a real ghost.
"Hey beautiful, aren't you playing a trick on me? What's with giving me spirit money to wipe with?" I complained, all while keeping an eye on the two corpses in the grass.
Those two were on the verge of turning into jiangshi. Earlier it was just their nails growing—now their teeth had lengthened too. Only then did I notice two bloody holes on their necks. Clearly, they'd been bitten to death by jiangshi, and now they were about to turn into ones themselves.
"You should be grateful you had anything to wipe with at all. Would you rather use your hand?" said the woman in red.
What she said… wasn't entirely wrong. But where did she get spirit money from? Is she also involved in the underworld trade—a profiteer of funeral goods?
Whatever, no time to overthink it. I hurriedly warned her, "You should leave, now. Those two corpses in the grass are about to become jiangshi. It's dangerous here."
Besides, I still had diarrhea. I'd just relieved myself here; the grass carried a certain smell, and I really didn't want any girls around.
But strangely enough, this woman in red paid no attention to the two corpses. Instead, she asked me a completely inexplicable question: "Do you think I'm beautiful?"
I was baffled. Is this woman insane? She特意 brings me spirit money, ignores how bad it smells here and the two corpses about to turn into jiangshi, and at a critical moment like this asks me whether she's beautiful?
Whatever—this kind of woman must have something wrong with her brain. I didn't want to get tangled up with her. Just to get her to leave quickly, I planned to brush her off and casually say, "You're beautiful, you're beautiful."
But before I could get the words out, Philip's voice suddenly shouted from afar, "Ignore her! Don't answer any of her questions! Get back here now!"
My screaming earlier must have caught Philip's attention—though he didn't come over, probably because it was too smelly.
"Speak. Tell me, am I beautiful?" The woman in red grew aggressive, pressing the question urgently.
I was starting to sense something wrong. And with Philip's warning, there had to be something off about this woman. I didn't dare answer her. I hastily backed away, ready to run.
But with a whoosh, in the blink of an eye, the woman in red suddenly appeared behind me. The moment I turned, I crashed right into her.
"Say it, say it—am I beautiful?" The woman in red showed no mercy. Her tone turned vicious and shrill, demanding an answer.
With the speed she'd just shown, I was pretty sure she wasn't human. But then again, she had a shadow… so she shouldn't be a ghost either. Then what was she?
"How should I know? What's it to me whether you're beautiful or not? Piss off, I'm leaving!" I yelled, then tried to shove her away.
But she suddenly pulled out a pair of red scissors, bright as bloodstain, then grabbed me by the neck with one hand and pinned me to the ground.
Her strength was incredible—it felt like some powerful force was clamping down on my lifeline. I couldn't move, could barely breathe, feeling more and more suffocated.
"Speak, or I'll kill you," the woman in red urged again, relentless, as if obsessed with getting an answer.
But I knew—I could never answer!
I swung the hilt of the Copper Coin Sword hard into her stomach. She let out a muffled grunt, immediately released me, and stumbled back several steps.
"Crazy bitch, stop asking me—I don't know!" I shouted, then scrambled up and ran.
I didn't want to fight. Right now, it was best to get back to my companions. I knew nothing about this woman—not even what she was, human or not—and she kept asking this insane question.
"Heh, heh, heh…" But the woman in red didn't give chase. Instead, she let out an eerie laugh. I glanced back and saw her gaze fixed on something behind me.
That's when I realized—the two corpses had stiffened and risen. They were right behind me, hopping up and down, following close on my heels.
Shit. They've turned into jiangshi… and they're chasing me.